Charles qsbern ralph walker



O. 0. R. WALKER.

WIRE STRAINER.

No. 327,126. Patented Sept. 29, 1885.

(No Model) PETER$ Mo-Ulhognpher. Wuhingtun, n, c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES OSBERN RALPH WVALKER, OF COOLAItT-BALNARING, ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH ELAM POUNDS, OF LOCKINGE HOUSE KEXV, VICTORIA.

WIRE-STRAINER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 327,126, dated September 29, 1885.

Application filed September 17, 1884.

(No model.) Patented in Victoria July 14, 138-1, No. 3,775; in South Australia August 2, 1884,

No.473; in Tasmania August4,1884, No.3 in New Zealan l August 8, 1884, No. 1,183; in England September 8.1884. No. 12,142; in CanadaOctober 16, 1881, No. 30,394; in \Vest Australia October 18, 188-1, No. 81; in New S nth Vales October 22, 1884,

and in Queensland January 5, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES O. R.\VALKER, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Ooolart-Balnaring, in the British Colony of Victoria, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Strainers, (for which I have obtained Letters Patent in Victoria, No. 3,775, dated July 14, 1884; in South Australia, No.473, dated August 2, 1884; in Queensland dated January 5, 1885; in New South WVales dated October 22, 1884; in Tasmania, No. 330, dated August 4,1884; in New Zealand, No. 1,183, dated August 8, 1884; in Great Britain, N 0. 12,142, dated September 8, 1884; in \Vest Australia, No. 82, dated October 18, 1884, and in Canada, No. 20,394, dated October 16, 1884,) of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention has been devised for the purpose of producing a wire-strainer so cheap that it may remain permanently affixed to the wire fencing, and so simple that it may be in stantly used for. tightening or slackening the wire at pleasure. It consists of a short roller recessed in the center for about one-third of its length, so thatits ends are of a larger diamet-er than its center. This central recess is the part on which the wire is wound or 1111 wound, and has a hole made quite through it for the purpose of receiving and fastening the end of the wire. Each of the two ends has two holes made quite through it at right angles to each other. These are for the purpose of receiving the ends of the levers by which the strain isput upon or released from the wire, and also for receiving a comparatively short key or lock, which looks against the post through which the wire passes and preserves the strain on the wire.

Wire-stretchers constructed to operate substantially like the stretcher herein described have heretofore been proposed for use on wire fences as a permanent fixture. These stretchers consisted of a plain roller of such a length as to project beyond the fence-post on both sides. In the projecting ends of the roller were formed the holes in which the levers for rotating the roller were secured. There are,

however, many disadvantages in this form of stretcher that have prevented their general use, notwithstanding the small cost of making them. The greatest of these is the difficulty in rotating the roller under the tension of the wire, (which is very great,) the wire wound thereon forming a pivotal point on which the roller itself turns the moment power is applied to the levers, thereby twisting the wire and at the same time displacing the strainer from its normal horizontal position. The displacement of the roller from its normal horizontal position on the fence-post prevents its being rotated, and requires great exertion to bring it back into proper position. This I avoid entirely by making the roller or strainer in the form of a spool-that is to say, with a central portion of less diameter than the ends thereof. Another great disadvantage in the strctchers referred to lies in the fact that their ends in which the levers are secured project from opposite sides of the fence-p0st. This is undesirable, for the reason that the retainingbar interposed between the levers and fencepost to prevent the unwinding of the wire from the roller may be readily knocked out by cattle, and, further, that the said projecting ends of the roller and those of the retainingbar are a source of injury to such cattle.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the wire-strainer; Fig. 2, an end view thereof. Figs. 3 and 4 are elevations of one of the levers for rotating the roller, and the retaining-pin, respectively. Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the mode of application of the strainer to a fence post and wires.

The method of using is as follows: Supposing the fencing to be already erected, the end of the wire to be strained is unfastened and passed through hole B in the recessed portion B of the roller, so as to press it against the outer side of the post. The ends of two short levers, G, are then placed in the holes A on either or both of the enlarged ends A of my roller, so as to revolve it, and when a partial rotation of the roller has been effected and other holes have been brought into accessible position one of the levers is changed to one of such holes for effecting a further movement of the roller, the other lever being held meantime to prevent backward rotation of the roller. The two levers are thus used alternately for rotating and holding the roller. This is continued until the strain is sufficient. A short stop-key or retaining-pin, D, is then placed in one of said holes A, so as to press againstthepost. Thelevers arethenrenioved and the contrivanee allowed to remain there. If at any future time the wire requires to be again strained or slaekened, it is only necessary to place either or both of said levers in the holes, as before, release the stop-key or retaining-pin, and either Wind or slacken at will.

My improved wire-strainer may be made CHARLES OSBERN RALPH WALKER.

Vitnesses:

EDW'D. XVA'rERs, WALTER SMYTHE BirYsroN. 

